Foggy Bottom Association

The Foggy Bottom West End Village (FBWEV) has been selected as one of 20 Villages nationwide to participate in a National Evaluation of Villages Feasibility Study, conducted by the University of California Berkeley in partnership with the Village to Village Network Research Committee. The 18-month study is being funded by the Retirement Research Foundation.

The purpose of the evaluation is to launch and test a national system for gathering information describing Villages and the impact they have on their members. Combined data from many Villages is an essential tool for demonstrating the value of Villages to both policymakers and funders. The Evaluation also provides useful information for individual Villages aiming to improve programs or demonstrate their impact on members.

The data to be collected will include: an organizational profile, annual member surveys, new member intake questionnaires, and reporting of services and activities provided by the Villages on a monthly basis.

The criteria used for selecting the participating Villages were to include a variety of Village models, geographic regions, Villages serving diverse groups as well as Villages who had the commitment and capacity to collect data.

FBWEV is a Washington, DC volunteer/membership organization that provides services and social activities to help residents live independently for the long term and is uniquely positioned to participate in this evaluation.

A wealth of data has been collected in FBWEV’s 15 months of operation. Since its grand opening in October 2013, the Village has grown to 139 members and a force of 75 volunteers who have provided more than 500 hours of volunteer services to members.

“We are very excited to be chosen to participate in this national endeavor,” said Bob McDonald, Executive Director of FBWEV. “Our Village’s data will help provide the basis for demonstrating the benefits of belonging to a Village. The broad scope of Village services, including social and cultural events and programs, educational forums, health and wellness sessions, and volunteer services, provides our members with an enhanced quality of life.”

We all know how unsafe snowy and icy sidewalks can be. For elderly or disabled folks, the risk of a serious fall is increased dramatically.

The solution is to clear sidewalks as quickly as possible after a snowfall, and to treat them with ice melter. But that can be difficult if residents are out of town, or are unable to shovel the snow themselves.

To ensure that Foggy Bottom sidewalks are cleaned and treated, the Foggy Bottom/West End Village, the Foggy Bottom Association, and the GW Office of Government and Community Relations have joined together to establish a Foggy Bottom Snow Team. We seek volunteers to help clean our neighborhood sidewalks on snow days.

To become a member of the Foggy Bottom Snow Team, please send your name, email address and phone number to Ken Durham at or call him at (202) 338-1342. Ken will contact Snow Team volunteers after a snow storm to see if they are available, and to ask them to help clean a specific problem area. Assigned areas may include sidewalks in front of houses occupied by elderly residents, or they may include sidewalks that are owned by entities such as the National Park Service, and are therefore not cleared. We will provide shovels and pet-safe ice melter to the volunteers who take on these assignments.

If you are able, DC law requires you to clear the sidewalk in front of your residence within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. Failure to clear your walk can result in a fine. But more than that, clear sidewalks help ensure we can all walk safely in our community.

Thanks for being a great neighbor!

At its regular meeting on Nov. 19, 2014, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A (“ANC 2A” or “Commission”) approved the RE: Off-Campus, Non-Police Patrols by G.W.U. in Foggy Bottom and the West End resolution.

With seven of eight commissioners present, a quorum at a duly-noticed public meeting, the Commission voted (7-0-0) to approve the resolution. To view the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A’s letter to GWU President Steven Knapp containing the entire resolution click here.